Electrical distribution system



June 1, 1937. w. H. FRANK ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Original Filed Dec. 1, 1933 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY BY W Patented June 1-, 1937 Emo'raroar. nrs'rnmu'rro r srs'ram William H. Frank, Detroit, lliicln, assilnor to Bulldog Electric Products Company, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of West Virginia Original application December 1, 1933, Serial No.

700,596. Patent No. 2,025,813. this application January 9,

' 8 Claims.

This application relates to electrical distribution systems and .more particularly to systems of the type comprising a stationary elongated duct and a current lead-ofi device or trolley 5 which may be moved along the duct to take current therefrom at various points along the ducting bus bar insulated with respect thereto, it being intended that the duct is to form a re-- turn side of the supply line with the bus bar forming the live side of the same.

In the construction herein disclosed the duct is so formed as to provide two pairs of opposed rails, along and between which ride the supporting wheels of a trolley, the rails of each pair being spacedapart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the trolley supporting wheels so that a single wheel engages, with adequate clearance, opposed rails, the cooperation of the parts eliminating much of the undesirable transverse shifting of the trolley in the duct as the trolley rolls along the duct.

The duct is also so formed that the bus bar contained therein is of thin ribbon-like material adequately backed and supported by the duct with its edges disposed within facing grooves provided by opposite beads of the duct, and in the construction herein disclosed the bus bar, though facing the riding slot or runway of the duct, is sodisposed at a distance thereto that accidental and malicious access to the bus bar through the runway may be attained only with difflculty.

Further objects of the invention 01 this application will be readily understood upon reference to the following specification relating to the appended drawing. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view to small scale of the bus duct with a trolley diagrammatically disclosed as being contained therein;

Fig. 2 is a larger scale view of a fragment of duct.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that Fig.1 discloses a trolley Illl whose supporting wheels I08 are disposed between and ride along opposed rails nos-no of the duct, each wheel engaging, ,with adequate clearance, two rails I09 and Ilil, whereby undesirable transverse shifting of the trolley as it rolls along the duct is eliminated.

The rails iii) are connected by retroverted Divided and 1936, Serial No.

heads I II to beads H2 which are connected by the bottom wall H3 cf the duct and disposed against this bottom wall with its folded edges received within the beads H2 is a folded strip of insulation! enshrouding a flat" ribbon-like 5 bus bar H5, only a flat surface of which is exposed to the interior of the duct. The disposition of the bus bar and its insulation in the facing grooves provided by the opposed beads N2 of the duct together with the disposition of the 10 bus bar and its insulation against the continuous backing provided by the bottom H3 of the duct provide a satisfactory support and anchorage for the bus bar so that as a trolley contact H6 rolls along the bus bar undue flexure of the 15 parts of the bus duct will not result. i

It is intended that the duct itself be made of electrically conducting material such as sheet steel and the bus bar be made of suitable bus bar material such as copper, and that the sup- 20 ply line of the system have its live side represented by the bus barand its return side represented by the duct. For this reason it is intended that the supporting wheels m8 of the trolley not only. be of electrically conducting 25 material but also be connected to one side of the load to be supplied from the bus duct through conductors embedded within the trolley and that the trolley contacts H6 be of copper or the like and be connected to the-other side of the load supplied from the bus duct by means of a second electrical conductor embedded within the trolley. Inasmuch as this application does not relate to the details of construction of the trolleys per se, further disclosure of the trolley parts is not 35 herein made.

It is understood that this application is a division of my prior copending' application, Serial No. 700,596, filed December 1, 1933, which issued into a patent on December 31, 1935, Pat- 4 ent No. 2,025,813.

I claim: 1. A trolley bus duct comprising a duct of electrically conducting material having a slotted wall and having mounted on the wall opposite the slotted wall a bus bar facing the slot, the

bus bar being rel-med of a thin, wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material-, the wall mounting it having longitudinally extending elongated folds folded around and receiving the edges of the bus bar, the slotted wall and the wall opposite thereto being formed'to provide rails for trolley wheels.

3. A trolley bus duct comprising a ductof electrically conducting material having a slotted wall and having the wall opposite the slotted wall provided with a wide, shallow groove intermediate the side edges of such wall, the groove being formed to receive a bus bar facing the slot, which bus'bar is formedof a thin, I

wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material, the wall of the groove having longitudinally extending elongated folds folded around and receiving the edges of the bus bar.

4. A trolley bus duct comprising a duct of electrically'conducting material having a slotted wall and having the wall opposite the slotted wall provided with a wide, shallow groove intermediate the side edges-of such wall, the groove being formed to receive a bus bar facing the slot, which bus bar is formed of a thin, wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material, those portions of the opposite well between which is the bus bar receiving groove bbgng closerto the slotted wall than is the bus A trolley bus duct comprising a duct of electrically conducting-material having a slotted wall and having mounted on the wall opposite the'slotted wall a bus bar facing the slot. the bus bar being'formed of a thin, wide,,flat ribbon of electrically conducting material, the wall mounting it having longitudinally extending elongated formations interlocked with the edges of the bus bar.

in e. a trolley bus duct comprising a duct or,

electrically conducting material having a slotted wall and having the wall opposite the slotted .wall provided with a wide, shallow groove intermediate the side edges of such wall, the groove being formed-to receive a bus bar facing the 1 slot, which bus bar is formed of a thin, wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material,

the wall of the groove having longitudinally extending elongated formations interlocked with the edges of the bus bar.

"I. A trolley bus duct comprising a duct of electrically conducting material having a slotted wall and having the wall'opposite the slotted wall provided wth a wide, shallow groove intermediate the side edges of such wall, the groove being formed to receive a bus bar facingthe slot, which bus bar is formed of a thin, wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material, those portions of the opposite wall between which is the bus bar receiving groove being closer to the slotted wall than is the bus bar. the groove having longitudinally extending elongated formations interlocked with the edges of the bus bar.

8. A trolley bus duct comprising a duct of electrically conducting material having a slotted wall and having the wall opposite the slotted wall provided with a wide, shallow groove'intermediate the side edges '01-," such wall, the groove being formed to receive a bus bar facing the slot,'which bus bar iis formed of a thin, wide, flat ribbon of electrically conducting material, those portions 'of the opposite wall between which is the. bus bar receiving groove being closer to the slotted wall than is the bus bar, the groove having longitudinally extending elongated formations interlocked with the edges of the bus bar.

\WIILLIZAM H. FRANK. 

